Michel Serrault (24 January 1928 – 29 July 2007) was a French stage and film actor who appeared from 1954 until 2007 in more than 130 films.
His first professional job was in a touring production in Germany of Molière's Les Fourberies de Scapin.
In 1948, he began his career in the theatre with Robert Dhéry in Les Branquignols. His first film was Ah! Les belles bacchantes, starring Robert Dhéry, Colette Brosset (Dhéry's then-wife), and Louis de Funès; directed by Jean Loubignac in 1954. Serrault played in the 1955 suspense thriller Les diaboliques, starring Simone Signoret and directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot.
From February 1973 through 1978, he portrayed the role of Albin/Zaza opposite Jean Poiret in the play La cage aux folles, written by Poiret. He recreated the role for the film version of the play, which was released in 1978.
Serrault died from relapsing polychondritis at his home in Équemauville on 29 July 2007 at age 79. He was buried in Sainte-Catherine's cemetery in Honfleur and was transferred in 2009 to the cemetery of Neuilly-sur-Seine near his wife Juanita Saint-Peyron and daughter Caroline, who died in 1977. He had another daughter, actress Nathalie Serrault.
Source: Article "Michel Serrault" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Known For
Joyeux Noel
(2005)
The Castle Keeper
Diabolique
(1955)
Mr. Raymond
Buffet Froid
(1979)
Le comptable
The Inquisitor
(1981)
Jérôme Martinaud
Deadly Circuit
(1983)
Beauvoir, « l'Œil »
Assassin(s)
(1997)
Mr. Wagner
La Cage aux Folles
(1978)
Zaza
Get Out Your Handkerchiefs
(1978)
le voisin
The Libertine
(2000)
Le Cardinal
Nelly and Monsieur Arnaud
(1995)
M. Pierre Arnaud
Artemisia
(1997)
Orazio Gentileschi
The Big Store
(1973)
Félix Boucan
La Cage aux Folles II
(1980)
Albin Mougeotte / 'Zaza Napoli'
King of Hearts
(1966)
Monsieur Marcel
Dr. Petiot
(1990)
Docteur Petiot
The Annuity
(1972)
Louis Martinet
Full Filmography
Acting
What the East Wind Saw
(1954)
Zamore
Peek-a-boo
(1954)
Serrault, le trompettiste
Diabolique
(1955)
Mr. Raymond
Life is beautiful
(1956)
le démarcheur
Mon bébé
(1956)
Jimmy Scott
That Naughty Girl
(1956)
Inspector #2
The Terror with Women
(1956)
Un gendarme
Murderers and Thieves
(1956)
Albert Lecagneux, le cambrioleur
The Innocent with Forty Children
(1957)
Jean-François Robignac
L'Habit vert
(1957)
Adorables démons
(1957)
Jacques Willis Senior
Clara and the Villains
(1958)
La Parole
Musée Grévin
(1958)
The visitor
You Have Nothing to Declare?
(1959)
Dr. Emile Couzan
Nina
(1959)
Adolphe Tessier
Oh! What a Mambo
(1959)
L'inspecteur Vidalie
La Malle volante
(1959)
M. Loiseau
The Bureaucrats
(1959)
le conservateur du musée de Vallembrais / Son petit-fils
Candide or The Optimism in the 20th Century
(1960)
Le second policier / Policeman
Love and the Frenchwoman
(1960)
L'avocat de Danielle (Le Divorce)
The American Beauty
(1961)
le clochard
My Wife Is a Panther
(1961)
le boucher
On purge bébé
(1961)
Guillaume Chouilloux
Un clair de lune à Maubeuge
(1962)
Charpentier, le conférencier
We Will Go to Deauville
(1962)
Lucien Moreau
Love on a Pillow
(1962)
Varange
The Four Truths
(1962)
Corbeau (segment "Le corbeau et le renard")
How to Succeed in Love
(1962)
Le commissaire
The Dance
(1962)
Pétrarque
Carom Shots
(1963)
Baudu, l'inspecteur de Police
Bebert and the Train
(1963)
Barthoin
Clémentine chérie
(1964)
Maître Brunet
Dandelions by the Roots
(1964)
Jérôme, comédien de théâtrre et cousin de Jockey Jack
Male Hunt
(1964)
Gaston Lartois
Jaloux comme un tigre
(1964)
M. Lurot
Hard Boiled Ones
(1964)
Rossignol, le détective privé
How Do You Like My Sister?
(1964)
Varangeot
Les baratineurs
(1965)
Henri
The Double Bed
(1965)
Albert
How Not to Rob a Department Store
(1965)
Under Your Hat
(1965)
Gaston Berrien / Monsieur Max
Le petit monstre
(1965)
The Real Bargain
(1965)
When the Pheasants Pass
(1965)
Rimero
Me and the Forty Year Old Man
(1965)
Bénéchol
King of Hearts
(1966)
Monsieur Marcel
Les combinards
(1966)
La père de Lucile
Les enquiquineurs
(1966)
Martin - instituteur
The Boss of Champignol
(1966)
Cette nuit-là à Bethléem
(1967)
The Men in the Family
(1967)
Gabriel Pelletier
The Madman of Lab Four
(1967)
M. Granger, directeur du laboratoire scientifique
Pour avoir Adrienne
(1967)
Thomeret
Les Compagnons de la marguerite
(1967)
L'inspecteur Papin
The Great Gadget
(1967)
Pounet
Du mou dans la gâchette
(1967)
The armorer
The Great Chase
(1968)
Aldo Moreni
Would-Be Gentleman
(1968)
M. Jourdain
Un merveilleux parfum d'oseille
(1969)
Commissaire Le Gac
Call Me Mathilde
(1969)
François
La Liberté en croupe
(1970)
Paul Cérès
Ces messieurs de la gâchette
(1970)
Gabriel Pelletier
Qu'est-ce qui fait courir les crocodiles ?
(1971)
Achille
Le Cri du cormoran, le soir au-dessus des jonques
(1971)
Alfred Mullanet
A Murder Is a Murder
(1972)
Le commissaire Plouvier / Superintendant
The Annuity
(1972)
Louis Martinet
Everybody He Is Nice, Everybody He Is Beautiful
(1972)
Marcel Jolin
Big Deal
(1973)
Paul
The Big Store
(1973)
Félix Boucan
La Cage aux folles
(1973)
Albin dit "Zaza Napoli"
Moi y'en a vouloir des sous
(1973)
Le curé Léon
Bloody Murder
(1974)
Edouard Henricot
Chinese In Paris
(1974)
Grégoire Montclair
Operation Lady Marlene
(1974)
Paulo
No Pockets in a Shroud
(1974)
Justin Blesh
La Gueule de l’emploi
(1974)
L'inspecteur de police
The Down-in-the-Hole Gang
(1974)
Jean-Paul Rondin
The Restroom Robbery
(1975)
Max
The Red Ibis
(1975)
Jérémie
La situation est grave... mais pas désespérée
(1976)
Jean-Pierre Mazard
Le Roi des bricoleurs
(1977)
Bordin
Le Passe-muraille
(1977)
Dutilleul
Other People's Money
(1978)
Miremant
La Cage aux Folles
(1978)
Zaza
Get Out Your Handkerchiefs
(1978)
le voisin
La Grâce
(1979)
Henri Dupérier
Buffet Froid
(1979)
Le comptable
L'Esprit de famille
(1979)
le docteur Charles Moreau
The Associate
(1979)
Julien Pardot
The Other One's Mug
(1979)
Martial Perrin/Gilbert Brossard
Il lupo e l'agnello
(1980)
Léon
Heads or Tails
(1980)
Edouard Morlaix
La Cage aux Folles II
(1980)
Albin Mougeotte / 'Zaza Napoli'
Malevil
(1981)
Emmanuel Comte
The Inquisitor
(1981)
Jérôme Martinaud
The Hatter's Ghost
(1982)
Léon Labbé
Nestor Burma, détective de choc
(1982)
Nestor Burma
Quarter to Two Before Jesus Christ
(1982)
Jules César
The Roaring Forties
(1982)
Sébastien Barral
Deadly Circuit
(1983)
Beauvoir, « l'Œil »
Kill the Referee
(1984)
Rico, aggressive supporter
Good King Dagobert
(1984)
Otarius
Le Bon Plaisir
(1984)
Le ministre de l'Intérieur
La Cage aux Folles 3: The Wedding
(1985)
Albin Mougeotte / 'Zaza Napoli'
Les Rois du gag
(1985)
He Died with His Eyes Open
(1985)
Robert Staniland
Liberté, égalité, choucroute
(1985)
Louis XVI
My Brother-in-law Killed My Sister
(1986)
Octave Clapoteau
Miracle Healing
(1987)
Ronald Fox-Terrier
Ennemis intimes
(1987)
Baudin
No Harm Intended
(1988)
Paul Duchêne
Let Sleeping Cops Lie
(1988)
Roger Scatti
Bonjour l'angoisse
(1988)
Michaud
Merry Christmas... Happy New Year
(1989)
Gino
Love Comedy
(1989)
Paul Léautaud
Dr. Petiot
(1990)
Docteur Petiot
L'Huissier
(1991)
Maître Malicorne
Héloïse
(1991)
Maurice Martin, Héloïse
The Old Lady Who Walked in the Sea
(1991)
Pompilius
Room Service
(1992)
M. Luc
Old Rascal
(1992)
Darius Caunes
Ville à vendre
(1992)
Rousselot, le maire
Bonsoir
(1994)
Alex Ponttin
Tel est Serrault
(1995)
Self
Happiness Is in the Field
(1995)
Francis Bergeade
Nelly and Monsieur Arnaud
(1995)
M. Pierre Arnaud
Beaumarchais the Scoundrel
(1996)
Louis XV
Artemisia
(1997)
Orazio Gentileschi
The Comedian
(1997)
Le comédien
The Swindle
(1997)
Victor
Assassin(s)
(1997)
Mr. Wagner
The Children of the Marshland
(1999)
Hyacinthe Richard, aka 'Pépé la Rainette'
The Libertine
(2000)
Le Cardinal
Actors
(2000)
Self
Un cœur oublié
(2001)
Monsieur de Fontenelle
Vajont
(2001)
L'Ingegner Carlo Semenza
Belphegor, Phantom of the Louvre
(2001)
Verlac
The Girl from Paris
(2001)
Adrien Rochas
24 Hours in the Life of a Woman
(2002)
Louis
The Butterfly
(2002)
Julien
L'Affaire Dominici
(2003)
Gaston Dominici
Le Furet
(2003)
Anzio
Albert est méchant
(2004)
Albert Moulinot
Monsieur Léon
(2005)
Docteur Léon Chapuis
Joyeux Noel
(2005)
The Castle Keeper
Grabuge!
(2005)
Commissaire Lancret
Les enfants du pays
(2006)
Gustave
Le Bénévole
(2007)
Max Birgos
Antonio Vivaldi - A Prince in Venice
(2007)
L'archevêque de Venise
Have Mercy on Us All
(2007)
Hervé Decambrais
Comiques de toujours (Vol. 1 à 4)
(2009)
Self (archive footage)
Merci Zaza - La folle histoire de la Cage aux Folles
(2023)
The Enigmatic Charlotte Rampling
(2023)
Self (archive footage)
Production